Galileo 1/45 Scale Model
Assembly Instructions

Six Parts Sheets are available to download from this web site.

A. YOU'LL NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• A clear transparency sheet which your computer's printer will accept. These (as well as card stock sheets) are available at stationery stores and office supply stores. This is needed only for printing Parts Sheet 1.

• White paper card stock (also called "cover" stock, about the thickness of a postcard) which your computer's printer can accept. Parts Sheets 2 through 6 should be printed on this heavy white paper.

• Transparent adhesive tape, such as clear 3M Scotch Brand tape. Frosty tape will suffice if clear tape is not available.

• Scissors, to cut some parts from the parts sheets.

• An art knife, such as X-Acto #11, with a sharp new blade, and a proper pad on which to cut. This will be needed to cut some parts from the parts sheets. Adult supervision is required for children using sharp tools. Caution, one can injure oneself, as well as the furniture, with an art knife.

• Wooden toothpicks for applying glue.

• Glues. Use regular white glue (Elmer's Glue-All or equivalent). You might also try a thick white glue, sold in art and fabric stores, called "TACKY GLUE" (Aleen's or equivalent). For one part (the High-Gain Antenna) you'll need a different glue: BOND 527 Multi-Purpose Cement works very well. It's available in many art stores and craft stores, or from Bond Adhesives Company, Newark, NJ 07114 U.S.A. If BOND 527 isn't available, a rubber cement may be used for that part. An artist's spray glue, such as 3M Spray Mount, would be convenient for a few parts, but it is not absolutely necessary.

• A dense black felt-tip pen.

• A 35mm film can, and a beverage cup, would be convenient to support some parts while gluing.

• Space. Set up a well lighted, comfortable work area, with room to set glued parts to dry.

• Time. Plan to set aside several hours for unhurried assembly. It may take eight hours or more to assemble your Galileo Scale Model.

• Patience. There may be some trying times. If so, remember that extra time and care will pay off with a surprisingly accurate, and handsome representation of NASA's Galileo, a very complex spacecraft.

• Optional: Some gold foil would add a good amount of realism to your model. Galileo was equipped with gold-colored sunshades as protection for the portion of its flight within the inner solar system. Obtain a small piece of gold-colored foil/paper, such as gift wrap. A square of about 15 cm, or 6 inches, would be more than enough.

• Optional: Two straight pins may be used as parts in the model, one as LGA2, and one as the Nutation Damper.

• Optional: Spherical propellant tanks are represented in your model by flat circles. For more realism, you might want to locate or fabricate some 3-dimensional objects to replace them in your model. Bead stores, or craft stores, may be a source.

• Optional: You may wish to fashion a stand for your model. A simple stand can be made by bending a length of wire. Brass wire from a hobby store, or steel wire such as coat hanger wire, will work. About half a meter, or 18 inches, in length is plenty. Such a stand may also be convenient to support parts during assembly. If you choose to work with wire, be cautious to prevent eye injury. This image shows a stand made of soft iron wire obtained from a craft store.

• Optional: You might find it helpful to use an electric hair drier to set the glue in some places. If you do, be very careful not to blow the pieces apart.

B. BEFORE BEGINNING ASSEMBLY:

• Download and print the six Parts Sheets. Sheet 1 needs to print on a transparency, and sheets 2 through 6 need to print on white card stock. You might also wish to print these instructions, if it isn't convenient to refer to your computer during assembly.

• Examine all the parts, and read their names.

• Read all of these instructions. Compare model parts with the illustrations.

• Have a look at some information about the Galileo Spacecraft.

• Get your bearings: Examine the sketch of the spacecraft below. For the purpose of these instructions, "Up" will be defined as toward the HGA SUNSHADE shown in the image. "Down" will be defined as toward the ATMOSPHERIC PROBE in the drawing. This also includes references to "Top" and bottom" in the instructions. "Inboard" is defined as toward the center of the spacecraft, and "Outboard" is defined as away from the center. You might also like to view a much larger line drawing of the spacecraft before getting started.

* 1. Assemble the Communications Antenna.

* 2. Assemble the Spun Bus.

* 3. Assemble the Science Boom.

* 4. Assemble the RTG Booms.

* 5. Assemble the Retro Propulsion Module (RPM).

* 6. Assemble the Despun Section.

  7. Assemble the Atmospheric Probe.

  8. Attach the RTG Booms to the Spun Bus.

  9. Attach the Science Boom to the Spun Bus.

  10. Attach the RPM to the Spun Bus.

  11. Attach the High-Gain Antenna to the Spun Bus.

  12. Join the Spun and Despun Sections.

• The spacecraft has a PWS Antenna pair out at the end of the MAG BOOM. This is visible in the line drawing of the spacecraft. Scale length would be about 17 cm or 6.75 inches on your model, but it would be very difficult to model it here in Earth's gravity well. If you have an idea for mounting and displaying your model which could support the antenna, obtain an appropriate length of thin wire. Make a bend of 30 degrees at the center. Go out about halfway from the center on each side, and bend 15 degrees up. Attach the wire at the outboard end of the MAG BOOM, perpendicular with it. Caution: DO NOT install wires if your intended use of the model might present any possible hazard of eye injury.

E. YOU'VE FINISHED YOUR GALILEO MODEL.

F. ABOUT YOUR GALILEO MODEL:

Please feel free to copy this scale model, and disseminate it widely.

Have you built the Cassini Spacecraft Scale Model?

Model design by Dave Doody
Thanks to Leslie Lowes and Matt Landano for reviewing and polishing.
An afterhours project, not at taxpayer expense.
18 December, 1997

Sections marked with a * may be accomplished at the same time if two or more people are working on assembly, or if you wish to work on one section while glue dries on another.